Vending-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'V. A..KREPPS.

VENDING MACHINE. N0. 479,005. Patented July 19, 1892.

- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

V.IA. KREPPS.

' VENDING MACHINE.

No. 479,005. Patented July 1-9, 1 92.

x D "(A -11. 2 IE I I 9 I 17 22/27; j' gh6g W /Zux U TED TATES ATENTFries.

VIRGIL A. KREPPS, OF KENSICO, NEYV YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO DANIEL I. CALDWELL, OF LYNN, AND ROBERT MILLS, OF NEVV- TON,TRUSTEES, AND HARRY W. MASON, OF NEXVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

VENDING-MACHINE.

V SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,005, dated July19, 1892.

Application filed'November 9, 1891. Serial No. 411,285. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VIRGIL A. KREPPs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kensico, in the county of 'Westchester and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVending-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which to it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to a device of that class which is used to vendcommodities upon the introduction of a coin of a required value into theapparatus.

Theinvention is designed more particularly to automatically supplypostage-stamps to the purchaser on the introduction of the coin; but itis also applicable to other commodities, as will be understood fromtheexplanation hereinafter following.

The device comprises an apparatus containing a receptacle for thecommodity, in the bottom of which is a spring-actuated wheeltrain orother suitable motor provided with a disk or wheel arranged to be drivenby said train, normally held inactive by a detent which is released uponthe introduction of a coin of the proper value, when the wheel will turna definite distance and expel a package of the commodity. In order toinsure the expulsion of the package, the disk or wheel is permitted toproject through a slot in the'bottom of the receptacle.

In the accompanying drawings, which illus- 3 5 trate the invention,Figure 1 is a perspective View of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation on a reduced scale. Figs. 4and 5 are detail sectional views.

40 1 represents a receptacle for the commodity, which in the caseillustrated in the drawings is postage-stamps. These stamps are inclosedin small envelopes, which are arranged in a pile, as indicated at 2, andupon the top is a weight 3, which fits loosely in the chamber and issufficiently heavy to press the envelopes firmly against the bottom 4 ofthe chan1- her.

In the front of the chamber 1 is a glass panel 5, through which thestock of merchandise can be seen from time to time and the neces sity ofrenewal without opening the box ascertained. Beneath the glass panel isa narrow opening 6, just large enough to permit the ejection of a singlepackage of merchandise in this instance of a single envelope containingpostage-stamps. The bottom of the chamber 1 is slotted, as indicated at7 in Fig. 4, and as many slots as may be necessary may be made in thebox. In the case illustrated in the drawings two slots are made, asindicated in Fig. 4E.

Secured to the bottom and beneath the chamber 1 is supported aspring-actuated wheeltrain, (indicated at 8,) upon one of the shafts ofwhich are mounted two disks 9 and 10, rig.- idly secured thereto. Uponthe shaft is mounted a ratchet-wheel 11, with'which cooperates a detent12, having an arm projecting in the path of travel of a coin inserted'7ointo the machine and held against the ratchet-wheel with a light tensionby means of a spring or other equivalent device 13. Each of the disks 910 is provided upon its periphery with a series of needle points orspurs, which in the travel of the wheel pass through the slot in thebottom of chamber 1 and penetrate the lowermost package of thecommodity, so that in the forward sweep of the wheel the package isforced out through the opening 6, whence it may be removed by thepurchaser. There are as many teeth in the ratchet-wheel 11 as there arepoints on the periphery of the wheel 9 or 10, and their numher. ispreferably limited, so that the are between two teeth will be longenough to expel a package far enough to insure its possibility ofremoval by the purchaser. The coin-conduit terminates at the upper partin athroat 14, the bottom of which is slotted so as to form ways,(indicated at 15 16, Fig. 5,) upon which the coin slides by gravityafter insertion. The slot is of proper width to reject a coin of asmaller denomination than the one required for the package ofmerchandise. 5

In the machine illustrated the apparatus is designed to operate upon theintroduction of a five-cent piece. If a cent or dime be introduced intothe throat, it will fall through the slot and drop upon the platform 17,whence it will fall upon the top 18 of the receptacle, thus indicatingto the purchaser that an improper coin has been deposited and enablinghim to recover the same. The throat is of such a width that a coin ofgreater value, as a quarter, cannot be inserted into the machine. Theprojecting arm of the lever 12 lies immediately under the lower end ofthe coin-conduit, so that when the coin falls from the conduitit strikesthe arm, releases the detent, and unlocks the wheel-train. The releaseis only momentary, as of course the coin immediately rolls from the armand drops upon the bottom 19 of the apparatus. The spring 13 then forcesthedetent to lock in the next tooth of the ratchet-wheel. The wheeltrainmay thus be given any desired range of movement by providing a ratchetwith a proper number of teeth. The spurs should correspond in number tothe teeth of the ratchet.

Opposite the winding-post of the wheeltrain is an opening 20, (indicatedin Fig. 1,) through which a key may be inserted and the spring woundwithout necessitating the opening of the machine.

In order to permit of the convenient insertion of new packages ofmerchandise and the removal of the cash, a central panel at the rear ofthe machine may be almost instantly removed by reason of the followingstructure.

The base of the apparatus is provided with a heavy flange 21, in which agroove, as indicatedat 22,is made. A bent lip 23 is secured to the lowerpart of the frame which houses the wheel-train, and a lock 24:,co-operating with a keeper 25, serves to fasten the parts together. Whenthe lock is opened, the apparatus may be tilted in the directionindicated by the arrow, when the upper portion maybewithdrawn from thebase and the cash removed. The rear side of the chamber 1 is secured tothe coin-conduit, as is also a portion of the chamber in which theclock-movement is housed. The top of the chamber 1 is pro The segment 28of the lower chamber is locked in place by the flange 21. In case it isdesired to insert more packages in the chamber 1, the lock 2% isreleased and the apparatus withdrawn from the base in the mannerhereinbefore indicated. As the lower end of the strip 28 is then free tobe moved outwardly, the panel 28 and the rear wall of the chamber 1,which are secured to the coin-conduit, can be instantly removed. It willthus be seen that the action of the device is entirely automatic afterthe coin has been introduced. The needle-points insure a forcibleexpulsion of the envelope containing the stamps. In case more bulkymerchandise were to be vended-as, for example, confectionsthe spurscould be extended so as to press against the rear side of the bottompackage. \Vith a package so small as a folded paper containing stamps,however, the construction shown and described is much more certain inoperation. It will be noticed that the weight 3 is slotted, also. Thisprevents injury to the spurs in case the stamps should be exhausted anda coin introduced. It will also be noted that the spurs normally lie outof contact with the merchandise, so that the wheel-train has no load atthe starting, but can acquire momentum before acting on the merchandise.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

A vending apparatus comprisinga receptacle for the merchandise, providedwith a slot or opening in line with the bottom package, aspring-actuated wheel-train, a series of radial spurs driven by a shaftof the train and adapted to sweep through an opening in the bottom ofthe receptacle and engage the bottom package, said spurs being out ofcontact with the package when the apparatus is inactive, and acoin-operated detent to release the train.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VIRGIL A. KREPPS.

\Vitnesses:

Vwron E. BURKE, E. C. GRIGG.

